Here are some of the questions that may be crossing your mind. There's plenty of free information and advice - so please use it!
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Please note that the answers given here relate to school admissions in England.If you live in Scotland or Wales, please contact us.
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Why was my application for a school place refused?
The only reason* your application can be refused is that the school has reached its admission number. This is the number that the admission authority published as the most children they would accept into this year group. The number will be based on the school's capacity (see below "how are admission numbers worked out?")
If you made your application at the normal time for entry into the school [this is called the "admission round"], you would have been refused a place because the number of applications received is greater than the admission number.
If you made your application after the normal time for entry into the school [this is called "in-year application"], this means that this year group has reached or exceeded the admission number.
If the year group has not reached its admission number, your application should not normally be refused*
* Exceptions to this are if your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs and the school cannot meet those needs, or if your child has been permanently excluded on two or more occasions. There is more information on this here
What is the legal reason for refusing my application?
The School Standards and Framework Act of 1998 sets the basis for current admission law.It states that in normal circumstances an application can only be refused if further admissions would prejudice the efficient education and / or the efficient use of resources in a school.Normally, an admission authority would say that one more than the admission number is the point at which prejudice would occur.
How is it decided as to who gets a place?
When there are more applications than places, each application must be ranked according to the over subscription criteria in the school's admission policy. The admission authority for the school will have published its admission policy and you should have received a copy of this before you made your application. It may have been in a booklet entitled "Information for Parents" or something similar.
By law, admission authorities must give priority to Looked After Children. In addition, if a child has a statement of special educational needs, he or she must be allowed admission to the school named on the statement. Admission authorities will rank their criteria in order of priority that meets the needs of the school community. Most schools give priority to children living nearest or within their catchment area. If it is a faith based school, priority will normally be given to children of that faith. Other criteria may include: children attending a school designated as a "feeder" school, children who will have an older sibling attending the school, social and / or medical needs.
Other ways that places could be decided may depend on performance in an examination, using a stanine process of ensuring balance across all abilities or children with ability in the school's specialist area.
As well as the over subscription criteria, the admission policy should show a clear "tie break." This says how places will be decided if only some of the children in a criterion can be offered a place. Almost anything is legal as a tie break, so long as it can be demonstrated as being equal to all children. Therefore, drawing lots is ok, so long as all children have an equal chance of being drawn out. Many admission authorities use "distance" as a tie break. However, it must be clearly explained to you how this is measured.
A simple example of how applications are decided would be if a school with an admission number of 140 received 178 applications.
These applications fell into 5 criteria:
One Looked After child;
The school knew of two children with a statement that they had to admit
78 lived in the catchment area for the school
46 children had an older sibling in the school
53 other applications that didn't go into any of the above categories
The total number is 180 (178 applications + 2 SEN children). Therefore, 40 places had to be refused. All children in the last category were in the tie break. For this school, let's say that it is distance as the crow flies. Children nearest to the school are offered a place and the 40 furthest away are refused.
What is an admission authority?
The Admission Authority is the body that is responsible for admissions to the school. The school is not responsible for admissions. The Admission Authority may be the local council if the school is a community or voluntary controlled school. If the school is voluntary aided, a foundation school, an Academy or a City Technology College, the Governing Body of the school is the admission authority.
Why do Looked After Children get a high priority?
The Government recognised that Looked After Children (children in care) do not usually achieve a good standard of education and that this significantly reduced their life chances. There may be many reasons for this, but it was also recognised that when a Looked After Child had to change school that it could take an unreasonably long time to secure him or her a new school place.
Giving Looked After Children the highest priority is a way of trying to improve their access to education and will have only a minimal impact on other applications.
Who is my local education authority?
Your local education authority will be normally be the council that you pay your Council Tax to.If you live in a shire county with districts and a county council, it is likely to be the county council.
What is meant by Co-ordinated arrangements?
The local education authority that you live in has a duty to co-ordinate all the applications for secondary schools, whether or not they are the admission authority.This includes middle (deemed secondary) and high schools. The reason is to ensure that every child gets an offer of a school place. It also ensures that parents don't receive multiple offers of places. In the past, parents had to make separate applications for each school they wanted their child considered for. When parents received offers for more than one school this meant that other parents were often disappointed and children upset unnecessarily.
In addition, your local education authority co-ordinate with neighbouring education authorities. If you want your child to go to a school in another council area, you have to apply via your own council. If a place isn't available, the local authority area that the school is in has no obligation to offer you another school. The local authority that you do live in does have a duty to offer you another school.
So, by co-ordinating within and between local authorities, you shouldn't be left without a school offer at all if any of your choices are unavailable.
Admissions to primary (including first and middle deemed-primary) schools are not co-ordinated in the same way.This means that if you want to apply for a school in another council area, you should apply directly to that council.However, if you are unsuccessful that council has no obligation to offer you an alternative school.Therefore, it would be sensible to also make an application for a school in your own council area to ensure that you do get offered a school.You can always turn it down if you get the school of your choice.
So, what can I do now?
Once you have received a letter saying that your application has been unsuccessful you can either:
·Accept the place that you have been offered at another school
It may be that you have been offered your second or third choice of school - or even a school that you haven't asked for. If you are happy for your child to go to that school you may wish to accept the offer
·Ask the admission authority or local education department to look again, if you think a mistake has been made
If you think the admission authority or local education authority have made a mistake in either the admissions or co-ordination process, you can ask them to check again. The mistake can only be regarding information that the council or admission authority had at the time the decision was made. For example, if you have moved house and live closer to the school, but have been refused a place based on the distance of your old address, it cannot be considered a mistake if the you didn't inform the council. If the council has made a mistake, they must put that right. However, this does not guarantee that you will be offered a place. It must be shown that the mistake denied you a place for you to be offered one now.
·Make an appeal
You have the right to appeal for each school you have been refused a place at. So, if you applied for three schools and were offered your third choice, you have the right to appeal for your first and second choice. When you received the letter refusing your application you should have also received information on how to make your appeal. Read this carefully and decide what to do next.
·Complain to the Ombudsman if you think a serious injustice has been made
If you think that a serious injustice has taken place (for example your local council knowingly offers places to people who have given false information on their application, or reserved places for school staff or friends), you have the right to complain directly to the Local Government Ombudsman. Normally the Ombudsman would only consider complaints after they have been through the local authority or school's complaints process. However, the Ombudsman recognises that admissions are urgent and has the discretion to look at these complaints without the normal processes.
Is it worth appealing?
This is really something you have to decide for yourself. Think about the reasons you applied for that school in the first place. Are those reasons still valid? Think about your son or daughter and what he or she needs most right now. No doubt they will be distraught if their friends have been offered a place. They could feel rejected. Or, they may already be accepting that the school they have been offered has some good points and are looking forward to going there. These really are personal decisions.
Alternatively, the school that you have been offered may be unacceptable for a variety of different reasons. This could range from poor educational standards to complex family dynamics. Again, the reasons are very personal.
One mistake that parents often make is to appeal against the school they have been offered. You must remember that your case is about why your child should be allowed to go to the school that they have been refused.
Finally, the worst that could happen is that you don't win your appeal and you're still in the same position as now. And the best that can happen is that you get the school you want. In 2008 it was announced that over a third of appeals are successful. So, you have a one in three chance of getting that place!
Should I accept a place at the school I've been offered?
This is a very personal decision. However, accepting the offer should not affect your appeal. What you should consider is that if you are not successful at appeal, where will your son or daughter go to school? If the school you have been offered is also popular, the place may not be available later, if you reject it now. You can always turn it down after your appeal is successful or you have secured a place in another school that you prefer.
What happens after I say I want to appeal?
You should have received information with your refusal letter telling you that you need to lodge your appeal within a certain time. This must not be less than 10 school days after the date of the letter. At this time all you need to do is write to the admission authority to tell them that you want to exercise your right of appeal. Many parents feel rushed into putting every bit of information they can think of into this appeal statement. Some experts will advice that you make a very detailed statement.However, this is within a few days of receiving the refusal letter.My view is to make a simple statement of your reasons for making the appeal.Say that you will provide further information and evidence before the appeal. You are allowed to send further documents and evidence to support your appeal later, so don’t feel stressed if you don’t have everything you need immediately.
The Admission Appeals Code of Practise says that appeals should be heard within the following timescales:
Appeals for secondary schools (including middle deemed-secondary and high schools), where your application was made on time must be heard by 6th July (or on the next working day if the 6th falls on a weekend)
Appeals for primary schools (including first and middle deemed-primary schools) must be heard within 40 school days of your appeal being lodged – or before the end of the summer term (whichever is sooner)
If for any reason your application was made late, your appeal should be heard with any other appeals for the school (as in the two bullet points above).However, if this is not feasible, your appeal must be heard within 30 school days of your appeal being lodged
Appeals sixth-form admissions must be heard within 40 school days of the appeal being lodged
If your application is made “in-year” (that is not at the normal time for entry into the school), then your appeal should be heard within 30 days of it being lodged.
“Being lodged” means the day that your letter saying you want to appeal is received by the Clerk to the Appeal Panel.
You should be notified of the appeal least 10 school days before.It is at this point that you should send in all of your supporting documents and statements to support your appeal.This is so that these can be copied and circulated to the appeal panel before the appeal.This gives them time to read them before the appeal.
You should receive copies of all papers seven working days before the appeal.This includes a copy of the admission authority and local education authority’s statement.
Three days before the appeal you should be given the names of appeal panel members (although these may be subject to change) and any other people who will be at the appeal and what their role is.You should also be supplied with any information you have asked for and be informed whether any witnesses will be present.
What should I say in my appeal statement?
The content of your appeal is personal.It should be about your child.A mistake that many parents make is in emphasising how good the school is and how bad the school they’ve offered.The appeal panel realise the school is good – that’s why it is over subscribed.To say that your child should go to that school because of its reputation is not likely to win your appeal.
Another mistake that parents make is to make their case as to why their son or daughter should not go to the school that they have been offered.The reasons may be very valid – but they don’t make the case as to why your child must go to this school.
When making your appeal statement try to cover, where possible, the following areas:
A mistake was made in the way the admissions were decided.This may be difficult to do if you don’t have any evidence.However, if you talk to other parents you may find discrepancies.Look carefully at the oversubscription criteria or the co-ordinated arrangements to see whether they’ve been applied properly to your application
Is the school full?Simply saying that it has reached its admission number isn’t enough.Ask for the numbers in each year group.Are they over the published number?Compare that to the recent Ofsted report.Did that say anything about overcrowding?Chances are if the school has a good Ofsted report, that additional pupils are not causing prejudice (legal reason for refusing)
The third, and possibly the most important point, is to ensure that you present a case that shows that the prejudice to your son or daughter in not being admitted to the school outweighs any prejudice to the school in admitting one more pupil
Appeal statements are very personal.They are about your child.They are about the affect that this situation has on your child and on your family.But most of all, the appeal panel will want to hear about your child.Be open and honest.
What does the Admission Authority's appeal statement mean?
The admission authority must provide the appeal panel with a statement saying why your application was refused.It must state:
How places were allocated (without giving any personal details)
Any information that they used to make the allocation (eg application forms, evidence of religion)
If distances were used, it should demonstrate how these are calculated
A statement showing how prejudice to efficient education or efficient use of resources will be caused by admitting additional pupils.This must be factual and backed up with evidence
If the application is refused on Infant Class Size legislation, this should be stated
Information on the capacity of the school.This could include a plan of the school
If relevant, details of any “fair access” policies.
Copies of any information that you have sent to the admission authority.
The admission authority’s job here is to prove that prejudice will be caused by admitting additional pupils.It is not their job to discredit your reasons for appeal.
What happens during an appeal?
Basically, your appeal is in two parts.
In the first part (Stage One), the admission authority has to present their case to show that the school is full.An Admission Officer will give present the school’s case.After that the appeal panel and then the parents are allowed to ask questions.The questions are not about your individual case.They are about the school and whether or not it can accommodate more pupils.While the Admissions Officer should give clear and full answers to your questions, they should not be presenting new information as part of their presentation.
In the second part (Stage Two), you get the opportunity to say why your child should be allowed to go to this school.You can read your statement, go through any documents and elaborate and expand on any of the information you’ve provided already.Unlike the admission authority’s presentation, you can present new information at any time up to and including in your hearing.However, you should be aware that if you keep any significant information to the appeal hearing, the panel have the right to adjourn the hearing to give them time to consider this information.After your presentation the panel will ask you questions to clarify what you’ve said.The admissions officer will also be invited to ask any questions.However, the admissions officer should not be attempting to discredit your case.
A multiple appeal is when there is more than one appeal for the same school. Therefore, it makes sense for the admission authority’s case to be presented only once.So the admission authority’s case is presented to all appellants (the term used for those making the appeal).This helps to ensure that you all hear the same information and have the opportunity to question this together.Any personal questions about your case can be kept until stage two.
In some places you may find you have an “individual multiple appeal.”Simply, there is more than one appeal for the school, but the admission authority’s case (stage one) is presented individually to each appellant before moving into stage two.
At the end of the appeal, the chair of the panel should ask you if you have anything else to say.You should always have the last word.When you leave the room, the admission officer should also leave.At no time should the admission officer be allowed to remain with the admission panel when you are not there.
The Clerk to the Panel is there to take notes for the panel and to record the panel’s decision.The Clerk should not influence the panel, but may have knowledge of law that they can make the panel aware of, if necessary.
The panel has to decide on both stages of the appeal.Their considerations are likely to be:
Have the admission arrangements, including co-ordination properly administered?
Has the case that the school is full been proven?
If yes, they then go on to discuss stage two
If no, then the panel may decide that all the appeals can be upheld
If no, but all of the appeals cannot be upheld because this would cause prejudice, then the panel will go on to stage two
The decision in stage two is whether prejudice to your son or daughter in not being admitted outweighs any prejudice to the school in taking additional pupils.
If you do win your appeal, the decision is binding on the school.Your child will be given a place.
Do I need to go to the appeal?
Quite simply, yes.If you can’t make the date given, a reasonable local authority will make arrangements for the date to be changed (this may be difficult for multiple appeals).While it is not unheard of, it is very rare to be successful at appeal if you are not present.
How independent is the appeal panel?
Appeal panels are made up of trained volunteers.Some will have had education experience (often retired teachers).However, no one who has worked for an admission authority can sit on an appeal panel.The Clerk to the Panel should also not be directly involved in the administration of school admissions, although he or she may be an employee of the local council.
The appeal panel members have no other connection with the school or the council and do operate independently.However, the admission authority is responsible for the training of panel members and the quality of this training can vary.
Am I allowed to bring someone with me for support?
Yes, you can.Some people like to have a friend or relative with them for moral support – especially if you are a lone parent or your partner can not come along.You should let the Clerk to the Appeal Panel know that you are bringing someone.Usually your friend can ask questions on your behalf if you are upset or nervous.
Am I more likely to win my appeal if I use a solicitor?
This is difficult.A solicitor is most likely to look at the points of law as to how they apply to your case.If the admission authority has not broken any regulations, then your appeal really is about your son and daughter.And you are the expert on your child – not a solicitor.
However, if you feel that your rights are being breached you may want to consider what support and advice you need and where to seek it.
What am I allowed to say at the appeal?
Whatever you feel the need to say to show that your child will be disadvantaged by not going to this school.If there is a reason underlying your case, don’t keep it to yourself.It can be very difficult sometimes to talk about family trauma, bullying or abuse.However, if these are the real reasons for wanting your son or daughter to go to the school, you should be open and honest with the panel.They are much more likely to be sympathetic to the real needs of your child.
What can I do to show my child really needs to go to this school?
Gather evidence!If there is a social or medical reason, get documents that support this.A doctor’s letter saying that you (the parent) have concerns is not medical evidence.However, a report from a doctor saying that they have examined your son or daughter and have found that they have a medical condition that necessitates a place at the school.
If you are appealing on social grounds, get reports and letters from professionals that have worked with your child and/or your family.
The head teacher of your child’s current school would not normally be able to show any bias in supporting you.Letters from current teachers, while supportive, are not generally evidence unless they support specific circumstances, such as bullying.
I think that a mistake was made with my application - what can I do?
Firstly, contact the local education authority’s admission section.Tell them of your concerns and ask them to check again how your application was processed.If a mistake was made they must put it right.If it can be shown that the mistake denied your child a place, then they must offer you a place without making you go through the appeal process.
If you have evidence that a mistake was made, but the admission authority or local education authority are not willing to put it right, you can complain directly to the Local Government Ombudsman.
I’ve missed the deadline for making my appeal – what can I do?
There is no legal deadline for making an appeal.The time given in your refusal letter is for administrative purposes only.You still have the right to appeal and your appeal cannot be refused.Therefore, go ahead and lodge your appeal anyway.
I’ve been refused more than one school.Can I appeal for each one?
Yes.You have the right of appeal for each school you have been refused.Sometimes parents are unsuccessful at the first appeal they attend.Disheartened, they withdraw their appeal for the second school.Don’t!You go into the next appeal with much more confidence and a more relaxed attitude.Many parents have gone on to be successful at the second appeal (which may just well be your first choice!)
Will being on a waiting list affect my chances at appeal?
No. In the normal admissions process you should automatically be added to the waiting list for any places that become available.Under the co-ordinated scheme, the local authority will let you know when places that have been declined are re-allocated.After this time any place that becomes available will be reallocated from the waiting list.
Local authorities do not have to maintain waiting lists once the school year begins.If the school maintains a list, you would need to contact them directly.
When a place becomes available it is allocated by applying the over subscription criteria to all of the children on the list.
How come I’ve gone down the waiting list?
The waiting list is not static and you can go down as well as up.This is because someone has been added to the list who has been ranked higher than your child.For example, if someone moves into the school’s catchment area or closer to the school than you do [if these are criteria used]
My child has special needs - how does this affect my application?
If your child has any special needs but does not have a Statement of Special Educational Needs issued by your local education authority, then this should not affect your application to any school.
If your child does have Statement of Special Educational Needs then the right school for your child should be named on that statement.When a school is named on that statement, your child has the right to go to that school without going through the admissions process.
If you are not happy with the school named on your child’s statement, or if no school is named on the statement, then your appeal is heard by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal, not the admission appeal panel.
My child was excluded from his/her last school - how does this affect my application?
If the exclusion was temporary (a fixed term exclusion), this should have no affect on your application.
If your son or daughter was permanently excluded from his or her last school then again, it should have no affect on your application.
If your son or daughter has been permanently excluded from two or more schools, then your right to choose the next school changes.
Your local authority should talk to you about its “Fair Access Protocol.”The local authority will say which school your child should go to.If the school objects to your child being admitted, the right of appeal belongs to the school’s Governing Body.They can appeal against your child being admitted.
I’ve won my appeal – what happens next?
If you win your appeal that means that your son or daughter must be given a place at the school.
Does winning my appeal mean someone who has a place already will have it taken away?
No.When you win your appeal, this means that the school will have to exceed its admission number.Once a place has been offered to someone it cannot be taken away, unless it was obtained fraudulently.
I didn't win my appeal - what can I do next?
You can accept the school you have been offered.You can apply for a different school.You can consider educating your child at home, if you have the time and ability to do so.
You should also, if you haven’t done so already, make sure that you are on the waiting list for any places that may become available.
If you feel that your appeal was not fair or mishandled – such as you did not get the opportunity to say what you needed to say – you can talk to the Clerk to the appeal panel and voice your concerns.If you are not satisfied with the answer put your complaint in writing to the admission authority.Get a copy of their complaints policy and follow this to make your complaint.If you are still not satisfied you can take your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman.You may want to complain immediately to the Ombudsman.Often they will look at complaints about admissions without having exhausted normal complaints processes.
If your complaint is of a serious nature and you feel your legal rights have been breached, you may wish to take legal advice.
I didn’t win my appeal but three people won theirs.Someone else has turned down a place – does this mean I will get it if I’m top of the waiting list?
No.The year group is now two pupils over the admission number through successful appeals (3 successful appeals and one person refusing their place). The year group would have to go below its admission number before a place became available.This means that a further 3 people would have to decline to take up their places before you were offered a place.
Can I appeal again?
You have the right to one appeal in each school year, so you cannot appeal again for the same school.However, if there is a significant change in your circumstances you should talk to the Clerk to the Appeal panel who may offer you a second appeal.
If you have made a complaint to the Ombudsman, he may ask the admissions authority to offer you a second appeal
My application was refused on Infant Class Size - what does this mean?
Legislation came into being in 2001 that said there must be no more than 30 children to each qualified teacher in schools Years 0 (Reception), 1 and 2.Therefore, the admission authority is saying that to admit more than 30 children the school would have to employ another teacher.
At the same time restrictions were put on appeal panels that limit their ability to uphold an appeal where Infant Class Size is claimed.The grounds for upholding your appeal can only be:
Ground A:your son or daughter would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had been properly applied; or
Ground B:the decision to refuse your child a place was not one which a reasonable admission authority would make in the circumstances.
Is it worth appealing if I was refused on Infant Class Size?
It is still worth making your appeal, but you basically need to prove that the admission authority either made a mistake or were being unreasonable at the time that the decision was made.If you have had a change of circumstances and did not tell the admission authority, then they cannot be seen to have been unreasonable.Similarly, if your circumstances changed after you were refused, this cannot be taken into account.
If you believe a mistake has been made you need to gather as much information and evidence as possible on which to challenge the admissions authority.The normal prejudice case for appeals does not apply.The appeal panel cannot uphold your no matter how sympathetic they feel to your case.
You may feel the odds are stacked against you, but you have the right to appeal.And while difficult, it is not impossible to win.
I've won my appeal - can I get help with travel costs?
Not normally.Rules for school transport say that the local authority must provide transport to your catchment or nearest school:
·For children aged 8 and under if the school is two or more miles from home.
·For children aged over 8, if the school is three mile or more miles from home.
If you have been successful for a non-catchment school you would normally only get transport provided if you can show that it is closer to your home than the catchment or normal school.
Who can I complain to about the appeal hearing?
If you are unhappy with the way the appeal has been handled you can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.The Ombudsman can investigate your complaint and make a recommendation to the admission/local education authority.The Ombudsman has no legal power to make the school give your child a place.However, if they find fault with what has happened, they can ask that you are offered another appeal.
Other avenues open to you include:
Talking to the admission authority or local council to see if a resolution can be found
Complain to the Secretary of State for Education
Write to the Council on Tribunals about how the appeal was administered
Seek legal advice to see whether you have grounds to seek a judicial review in the High Court
See if the admissions authority will offer a second appeal on the grounds of a material change in your’s or your child’s circumstances.
I think the admission policy / admission number is unfair - who can I object to?
Yes, you can complain about the policy or number.There is a duty on admission authorities to consult with their local council and neighbouring admission authorities regarding their published admission arrangements.There is also a duty to consult with parents.Your local education authority has a duty to publish information in the local press saying where parents can see the admission policies for schools in their area and how they can object to them.
The reality is that this takes place long before many parents have considered what the effects may be on them.For example, if your child is due to start school in September 2009, the admission arrangements would have had to be consulted on before end of the school year in summer 2008.You most likely didn’t even think about what the policy would be until you received the information for parents and application form around September 2008 – and even that is a full year before your son or daughter starts or changes school.
If you are the parent of a child born in the summer – say June – your child was only two years old when the policy affecting him or her was decided.
However, if at any time you believe that the policy or arrangements are unfair or illegal, you have the right to complain to the Schools’ Adjudicator.
How is the admission number calculated?
The admission number is based on the school’s capacity.There is a government formula called the Net Capacity Assessment which works out the total number of teaching spaces available in a school.This number is then divided by the number of year groups that the school has.
The numbers given below are for example only and do not necessarily correlate with how Net Capacity is actually calculated.
So, a primary school may have 210 teaching spaces.There are seven year groups (Reception to Year 6).So, 210 ÷ 7 = 30.Therefore the admission number would be 30.
However, it is not this clear cut.The net capacity gives a range that the admission number can be selected from.Let’s say that the capacity of the school is measured at 240.This may give a range of between 28 and 34.The school and admission authority then agree the admission number within that range.To comply with Infant Class Size we can see how the school would have an admission number of 30.In addition there may only be 7 classrooms in the school, plus a smaller teaching room used for group work.So again, we can see how the admission number of 30 has been arrived at.
However, the calculation is not this simple for secondary schools.When calculating the capacity, it is necessary to take account of specialist teaching spaces (technology, science and sports teaching spaces).In addition, the number of pupils staying on into Sixth Form is different for each school and this affects the number of year groups the school is deemed to have.In addition, the admission number reflects that not all of the teaching rooms will be in use all of the time.
So, if a school has an admission number of 100 and an average of 40 stay on into Y12 and 30 stay on into Y13, the school’s admission number would be calculated on the capacity divided by 5.7 year groups (Years 7 to 11, plus 40+70 in the Sixth Form are equal to 0.7 of a full year group).However, this does not tell us that the school’s capacity is 570 teaching spaces.There could be 620 teaching spaces, but as already stated, it would be assumed that in a secondary school all teaching spaces cannot be in use 100% of the school day.So the scale in which the admission number could be set may range from 95 to 105 and the school and admission authority have chosen a number in the middle.
When you receive the admission authority's appeal statement it should give you details of the school’s Net Capacity Assessment.You should ask whether the admission number is set at the highest or lowest possible from the scale.If at the lowest, then you have a starting point for arguing that the school is not full.
Where can I find more?
You can read the Governments School Admissions Code of Practise and the School Admission Appeals Code of Practise. For links to this and other sources of information, click here
schooladmissionappeals.info is part of PRF Solution, PO Box 220, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 9AW.
All information on this website is provided in good faith. Use of this information does not guarantee the outcome of your appeal. While we make every effort to ensure that the information is up to date and correct, we cannot be responsible for any misinterpretation.
